​The pros and cons of having large windows

As a builder of your own house, you often face unimagined decision-making questions. Particularly during consultations with the responsible architects, problems, proposals and hypotheses are placed on the table, which are foreign to the layman and may create uncertainties.

With today’s article, we would like to help prepare you for such questions about house construction, particularly when it comes to windows, where we carefully weigh the architectural and subjective meaning of large windows.

1. Why big windows?

Windows are far more than mere openings for the purpose of ushering in light. At a house, they are the interface between interior and exterior, which bring the private into contact with the outside world and vice versa connect the environment with the private space.

From a purely subjective point of view, this connection is regulated by the opening and closing of the windows: when opening, oxygen flows in and out of the room, closing the windows or closing the curtains and roller shutters keeps the exchange under lock and key.

All the more so when it comes to large windows. Then a broad outlook is possible and generous insight is granted, fresh air can flow unrestrained into the room, as well as the sounds of nature – which definitely influences the interior ambience of a home.

2. Fully glazed walls: a new trend

When it comes to architects, a neat combination of technical knowledge and artistic creativity is usually present. This mixture undoubtedly flowed through to this design, which impresses us on a visual level, yet is also practical.

Many architects start off their designs with a single idea or vision. In the creative process, the decision to build a house with fully-glazed walls could be seen as a vision, as it is a complete contrast to, say, stone houses that offer opaque walls. Not so with the new trend in the field of architecture, which makes use of generous glass surfaces to replace brick walls.

This example shows a design where the glazing extends over several floors and allows the occupants a perfect view of the surroundings – an especially welcome feature when your house is located in a supreme location with beautiful landscapes.

Of course the glazing needs to be placed on the right side(s) of the house to ensure adequate privacy is still enjoyed.

4. Cleaning

Windows, big or small, need regular cleaning to remain spotless and provide crystal-clear views for residents to see through. But just because a window is bigger and requires more cleaning doesn’t mean one can take shortcuts and end up with a badly cleansed glass pane.

Squeegees are one of the more popular means of ensuring clean windows, as they don’t tend to leave water streaks behind. Just to be safe, it’s always best to follow a regular cleaning ritual with a simple wipe-off using a microfiber cloth. Newspaper can also be used, but then the window has to be far from soaked, seeing as you run the risk of leaving ink smudges behind.

5. Advantages

Owners of houses with large windows can be considered as being one step ahead of the trend, as chances are probable that all future homes will flaunt glazed designs.

They definitely know the benefit of having first-class views each and every day, as well as interior spaces basking in delicious natural lighting. Of course the larger the window, the more fresh air can circulate indoors as soon as that window is opened.

6. Disadvantages

It’s not bizarre to pay around 350€ for a generous window, as that is usually the going rate of your average, large-scale design. Now think about multiplying this amount by the number of large windows you require for your house – that ends up being a pretty vast amount.

Cost is one thing, but another disadvantage about large windows is how much heat they transfer, both inside and outside, which can also mean a rise in heating/cooling bills for your home.